HPV Vaccine

HPV Vaccination is Recommended for Girls and Boys

HPV vaccine is recommended for girls ages 11 through 26 years and for boys ages 11 through 21 years, who have not yet been vaccinated. So if your son or daughter hasn’t started or finished the HPV vaccine series—it’s not too late! Talk to their doctor about getting it for them now.

HPV and Cancer

HPV is short for Human Papillomavirus, a common virus. In the United States each year, there are about 17,000 women and 9,000 men affected by HPV-related cancers. Many of these cancers could be prevented with vaccination. In both women and men, HPV can cause anal cancer and mouth/throat (oropharyngeal) cancer. It can also cause cancers of the cervix, vulva and vagina in women; and cancer of the penis in men.

For women, screening is available to detect most cases of cervical cancer with a Pap smear. Unfortunately, there is no routine screening for other HPV-related cancers for women or men, and these cancers can cause pain, suffering, or even death. That is why a vaccine that prevents most of these types of cancers is so important.

The President's Cancer Panel Annual Report finds underuse of HPV vaccines a serious but correctable threat to progress against cancer. In this report, the Panel presents four goals to increase HPV vaccine uptake: three of these focus on the United States and the fourth addresses ways the United States can help to increase global uptake of the vaccines. Several high-priority research questions related to HPV and HPV vaccines also are identified.

Get Vaccinated

In St Tammany, Jefferson , St Bernard, Orleans and St Charles Parishes GNO Immunization Network provides HPV vaccine, as well as other vaccinations, to children with insurance that does NOT cover vaccines, children with Medicaid and LaChip, private insurance supplemented with Medicaid or those children who have NO insurance. If you have any questions please call our office 504-733-3268 before going to the bus. The HPV vaccine is also available to women over 18 for a fee or on a sliding scale. Call 504-733-3268 for more information. The GNOImmunization Network operates in 65 public schools in New Orleans.

Most health plans must cover a set of preventive services like shots and screening tests at no cost to you. This includes Marketplace private insurance plans.

All Marketplace plans and many other plans must cover HPV Vaccination, and the list of additional preventive services without charging you a co payment or coinsurance. This is true even if you haven’t met your yearly deductible. This applies only when these services are delivered by a network provider.

More about HPV

HPV is a virus passed from one person to another during skin-to-skin sexual contact, including vaginal, oral, and anal sex. HPV is most common in people in their late teens and early 20s. Almost all sexually active people will get HPV at some time in their lives, though most will never even know it.